Alaska’s Permanent Fund is a model for sovereign wealth funds globally
September 28 By Angela Rodell Forty-five years ago, with the foresight of a time beyond their newfound oil wealth, Alaskans took the initiative to create the Permanent Fund, thus constitutionally protecting a portion of the royalties for future generations. As a steward of the Fund,…
US-Russia Set 2nd Round of Strategic Talks Under Biden Admin
September 27 By Matthew Lee The United States and Russia will hold their second round of strategic talks later this week as the two sides attempt to resolve myriad differences ranging from nuclear weapons to cyberspace, the State Department said Monday. The department said the…
Obstacles abound for legislators seeking an Alaska budget solution
September 25 By Andy Josephson The coming fourth special session, scheduled for Oct. 1, is very unlikely to bear fruit by resolving our state’s fiscal conundrums. Here is why: First, let’s look back just one month for some context. Just prior to gaveling in for…
Biden Hosts Indo-Pacific Leaders as China Concerns Grow
September 25 By Josh Boak Meeting with the leaders of India, Australia and Japan, President Joe Biden declared Friday that the U.S. and other members of the Indo-Pacific alliance known as “the Quad,” are showing they “know how to get things done” in an increasingly…
Milley: US Should Explore More Military Talks With Russia
September 24 By Lolita C. Baldor The U.S. should explore ways to expand its military contacts with the Russians, potentially to include allowing observers from each country to watch the other’s combat exercises, in a broad effort to increase transparency and reduce the risk of…
Alaska to activate crisis standards of care as FDA authorizes Pfizer vaccine booster for some
September 23 By Meryl Kornfield Facing overwhelmed hospitals, Alaska became the second state this month to give health-care providers the power to prioritize patients — largely based on their likelihood to survive — for scarce resources and even deny treatment. “Our case counts are rising,”…
Biden, Macron Make Up as France Begins Undoing Punitive Measures
September 23 By Paul D. Shinkman President Joe Biden called his French counterpart Emanuel Macron on Wednesday and appeared to apologize for not offering more forewarning about Australia’s contentious decision to scrap a deal with France and buy American nuclear submarine technology instead. A readout…
Wray: Afghanistan Unrest Could Inspire Extremism Inside US
September 22 By Eric Tucker The possibility of a 9/11-type attack has diminished over the last 20 years, but the Taliban victory in Afghanistan could embolden U.S.-based extremists at the same time that the FBI is confronting increasing threats from individuals motivated by racial and…
Annual Crime in Alaska Report Shows 18.5% Decrease in Crime
September 22 By Austin McDaniel The Department of Public Safety has published the 2020 Crime in Alaska report, the annual report on instances of crime in Alaska reported a decrease in Alaska’s overall crime rate by 18.5%. This also reflects the lowest total number of…
Bill Gates says partisan politics hurts climate change battle, and the U.S. is ‘one of the worst’
September 21 By Catherine Clifford In the United States, fighting climate change is a political issue, and it can’t be, according to Bill Gates. “Sadly, the U.S. is one of the worst in the issue being partisan in nature, but we need to change that,”…